Role of air pollution exposure in the alteration of brain cortical structure: A Mendelian randomization study
Background: Accumulating research has linked ambient air pollution exposure to alterations in cortical surface area (SA) and thickness; however, the causal inferences remain controversial. Our investigation aims to determine the causality between air pollution and brain cortical morphology using the...
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325005573 |
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| author | Chaojuan Huang Zimei Cheng Xu Wu Zhiwei Li Mingxu Li Xingliang Feng Yuyang Zhang Qian Zhao |
| author_facet | Chaojuan Huang Zimei Cheng Xu Wu Zhiwei Li Mingxu Li Xingliang Feng Yuyang Zhang Qian Zhao |
| author_sort | Chaojuan Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Accumulating research has linked ambient air pollution exposure to alterations in cortical surface area (SA) and thickness; however, the causal inferences remain controversial. Our investigation aims to determine the causality between air pollution and brain cortical morphology using the Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. Methods: Public accessible genome-wide association studies data on particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), PM2.5 absorbance, PM10, PM2.5–10, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOX) concentration were screened to select instrumental variables. Univariable MR (UVMR) was performed to assess the causality of air pollution on brain cortical structure using five MR methods. Multivariable MR (MVMR) was further conducted to strengthen the robustness of the identified relationships by adjusting for related pollutant phenotypes, household income, and unhealthy eating habits. Results: The UVMR analysis identified fourteen causal associations between air pollution susceptibility and alterations in brain cortical morphology, with nine showing negative effects and five showing positive effects concurrently. The MVMR models indicated negative causal relationships between PM2.5 level and the SA of the inferior temporal cortex (beta [95 %CI] = -215.739 [-404.284 to -27.194], p = 0.025), NO2 level and the SA of the lateral occipital cortex (beta [95 %CI] = -548.577 [-1086.450 to -10.699], p = 0.046), and a positive correlation between PM2.5 absorbance and SA of the bankssts cortex (beta [95 %CI] = 76.491 [14.267–138.716], p = 0.016). No evidence of heterogeneity or pleiotropy was noticed. Conclusions: Our exploration established causal relationships between air pollution exposure and brain cortical structure, underscoring the significance of mitigating air pollution to preserve brain cortical morphology. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-68183d5bd1c8461a83a37b453164994e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0147-6513 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
| spelling | doaj-art-68183d5bd1c8461a83a37b453164994e2025-08-20T02:15:28ZengElsevierEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety0147-65132025-06-0129711822110.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118221Role of air pollution exposure in the alteration of brain cortical structure: A Mendelian randomization studyChaojuan Huang0Zimei Cheng1Xu Wu2Zhiwei Li3Mingxu Li4Xingliang Feng5Yuyang Zhang6Qian Zhao7Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, ChinaDepartment of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, National Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, ChinaDepartment of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, ChinaDepartment of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, ChinaDepartment of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, ChinaDepartment of Urology, The First People’s Hospital of Changzhou, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213003, China; Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213003, China; Corresponding authors.Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China; Corresponding authors.Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China; Corresponding author at: Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China.Background: Accumulating research has linked ambient air pollution exposure to alterations in cortical surface area (SA) and thickness; however, the causal inferences remain controversial. Our investigation aims to determine the causality between air pollution and brain cortical morphology using the Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. Methods: Public accessible genome-wide association studies data on particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), PM2.5 absorbance, PM10, PM2.5–10, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOX) concentration were screened to select instrumental variables. Univariable MR (UVMR) was performed to assess the causality of air pollution on brain cortical structure using five MR methods. Multivariable MR (MVMR) was further conducted to strengthen the robustness of the identified relationships by adjusting for related pollutant phenotypes, household income, and unhealthy eating habits. Results: The UVMR analysis identified fourteen causal associations between air pollution susceptibility and alterations in brain cortical morphology, with nine showing negative effects and five showing positive effects concurrently. The MVMR models indicated negative causal relationships between PM2.5 level and the SA of the inferior temporal cortex (beta [95 %CI] = -215.739 [-404.284 to -27.194], p = 0.025), NO2 level and the SA of the lateral occipital cortex (beta [95 %CI] = -548.577 [-1086.450 to -10.699], p = 0.046), and a positive correlation between PM2.5 absorbance and SA of the bankssts cortex (beta [95 %CI] = 76.491 [14.267–138.716], p = 0.016). No evidence of heterogeneity or pleiotropy was noticed. Conclusions: Our exploration established causal relationships between air pollution exposure and brain cortical structure, underscoring the significance of mitigating air pollution to preserve brain cortical morphology.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325005573Air pollutionParticulate matterNitrogen dioxideNitrogen oxidesSurface areaThickness |
| spellingShingle | Chaojuan Huang Zimei Cheng Xu Wu Zhiwei Li Mingxu Li Xingliang Feng Yuyang Zhang Qian Zhao Role of air pollution exposure in the alteration of brain cortical structure: A Mendelian randomization study Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Air pollution Particulate matter Nitrogen dioxide Nitrogen oxides Surface area Thickness |
| title | Role of air pollution exposure in the alteration of brain cortical structure: A Mendelian randomization study |
| title_full | Role of air pollution exposure in the alteration of brain cortical structure: A Mendelian randomization study |
| title_fullStr | Role of air pollution exposure in the alteration of brain cortical structure: A Mendelian randomization study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Role of air pollution exposure in the alteration of brain cortical structure: A Mendelian randomization study |
| title_short | Role of air pollution exposure in the alteration of brain cortical structure: A Mendelian randomization study |
| title_sort | role of air pollution exposure in the alteration of brain cortical structure a mendelian randomization study |
| topic | Air pollution Particulate matter Nitrogen dioxide Nitrogen oxides Surface area Thickness |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325005573 |
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